How architecture, furniture and transportation have been designed to help Americans relax.


This movie is part of the collection: Prelinger Archives

Producer: Handy (Jam) Organization
Sponsor: Chevrolet Division, General Motors Corporation
Audio/Visual: Sd, B&W
Keywords: Psychology; Design; Stress

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: donwert - - March 20, 2010
Subject: You're feeling sleepy...verrrrry sleepy...
A bizarre Jam Handy film in which a "reknown"
psychologist instructs on ways to relax. He starts by explaining that tension is caused by
fear of noise, fear of falling and fear of confinement. I rather suspect that, in 1940, fear
of war and fear of unemployment might have been bigger causes of tension. A goofy film the purpose of which can't even be guessed at.

Reviewer: doowopbob - - April 9, 2009
Subject: Sealy Bliss....Sealed With A Kiss....
Film Opens With A Group Of Young Women Passing By Mattress Dept. They Know What Mattress's Are For & Scoot Right By Grinning....Next A Middle Aged Couple Bounce Their Butts Off A Mattress......She Wants "HARD" Side..He Likes "Soft" Side, Which Explains Why She Ain't Getting Any!...BUT WHO WOULD GIVE HER ANY, ANYWAY!

Reviewer: Robin_1990 - - April 22, 2008
Subject: Another Great Jam Handy Film
Jam Handy Rules.

Reviewer: RedAliCat - - August 19, 2006
Subject: Hey, isn't that room from Ikea?
Entertaining little short with awfully simple info about relaxing. Interesting emphasis on car design. I'm sorry, but from the appearance of 6 people in that car (and even in today's autos), that just didn't look roomy enough if you need to get out to get "some space." The section about the dining room and guest room converting into a usable family room looked like it was an original Ikea design!

Reviewer: Spuzz - - September 19, 2003
Subject: Calling Dr, Freud!
Rather bizarre little number by Jam Handy that tells people it's important to RELAX! We start out at a bedding store, where new novel bedding ideas are shown (that pillow thing has neck strain written all over it). We then turn to the real star of the show, Dr Donald Laird. a man with a SERIOUS goatee. He shows some amazing experiments on subjects that are a hoot, The first woman gets stressed out over when a firecracker will explode. The second one (the funniest.. I nearly fell of my chair) notes the reaction of someone when the height of their chair is suddenly dropped (her reaction is priceless). and third, a man who is has his whole body compressed to demonstrate agoraphobia. This all is tied in OF COURSE, to automobile design, but most importantly DR laird concludes, just try to relax. Close your eyes, and watch that wrinkle from the middle of the forehead dissapear. A hoot. A MUST SEE on this site!

Reviewer: Christine Hennig - - November 10, 2002
Subject: Let Yourself Go
Modern technology is used to help people relax, especially in their cars. This film features Dr. Laird, a mad scien--oops, I mean "relaxation expert," who runs hideous experiements on people to find out why they can't relax, and gives us relaxation tips at the end of the film. Imagine, if you can, relaxation training done by a drill sergeant: "OK, now, relax your forehead!! Now!! More!! More!! You're not relaxing enough!!" Dr. Laird actually comes off that way. He tells us that we must make a concerted effort to relax and actually tells the woman he's coaching "More! More!" Gee, I never knew relaxation was that hard. A real jaw-dropper.
Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *****. Weirdness: *****. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ****.

Shotlist

"IN THESE TIMES, WE MUST HAVE USEFUL THINGS IN OUR WORLD THAT WILL PERMIT US TO RELAX. DR. DONALD LAIRD TELLS US HOW ARCHITECTURE, FURNITURE & TRANSPORTATION, ESPECIALLY THE MOTORCAR, HAVE BEEN DESIGNED TO HELP AMERICANS RELAX."



Ken Smith sez: The narrator of this film tells us "the hurry and scurry of modern life is getting a lot of us down." We are then taken into the office of the amazing Dr. Donald A. Laird (director of the Colgate University Psychology Laboratories) who looks like Svengali and, as it turns out, would have made a good concentration camp doctor. With his piercing eyes, his quack medical devices (such as the "tensionometer") and his Sphinxlike female lab assistant, Dr. Laird performs a number of novel "experiments" on hapless humans to demonstrate his theories of tension. His concluding advice? "Value the ability to make your mind a blank."
This film ends with a visit to the "House of Ideas" in Rockefeller Center, where "even the height of the steps has been scientifically determined." A chock-full-of-fun film. Similar, though superior, to Relax.

01:17:55:00-01:18:22:00
man lying on bed punching pillow, man standing over him watching, he exits frame, comes back with different pillow, he switches the two pillows, man appears to like the new pillow.
01:18:22:00-01:18:28:00
woman sitting leaning back on cushion.

01:18:28:00-01:18:33:00
woman putting on sleep mask
01:18:33:00-01:18:40:00
woman sitting on bed, looking at book on special stand.
01:18:40:00-01:18:45:00
office door indicating, "Dr. Donald A. Laird, Consulting Psychologist".
01:18:45:00-01:19:59:00
man and woman sitting behind desk; man begins to speak to camera while handing woman a device, man takes firecracker out of desk, placing it in metal box; CU man lighting fuse; MCU woman; CU fuse burning; CU hand holding device; CU meter; CU woman's face; CU firecracker exploding; CU reaction shot of woman's face; CU woman squeezing device; CU meter moving; MS man and woman behind desk; woman sets down device; man closes box, places it to side.
01:19:59:00-01:20:06:00
woman sitting on raised stool looking at camera holding device in hand; woman standing behind her holding rope, she pulls it causing stool to fall fast.
01:20:06:00-01:20:18:00
CU man's face speaking to camera
01:20:18:00-01:20:24:00
roller coaster ride shot from middle car.
01:20:24:00-01:20:34:00
MCU man speaking to camera.
01:20:34:00-01:20:52:00
woman fastening restraint around man's chest and arms, then begins to pump air into it; CU man's chest with restraint on and air being pumped into it, (meter next to him).
01:20:52:24-01:21:12:00
CU man speaking to camera, stops, begins speaking again
01:21:12:00-01:21:18:00
CU woman with eye's shut, she begins to smile.
01:21:18:00-01:21:22:00
LS kids playing ball on porch.
01:21:22:00-01:21:52:00
man sitting on chair on porch reading paper, woman comes out, approaching him, taps him shoulder, man stands up and walks into house with woman; camera tilts up to kids playing ball on porch above them; MS man sitting in chair (back of head in view) woman leaning over him, they are looking at a magazine, woman takes it, approaches another chair and sits down.
01:21:52:00-01:21:57:00
woman in kitchen wearing apron drying dishes.
01:21:57:00-01:22:01:00
boy fixing model air plane on floor
01:22:01:00-01:22:14:00
car driving down road; CU inside of car from front window, man driving car, young girl and boy also in front seat, woman in back seat.
01:22:14:00-01:22:34:00
woman sitting in chair reading magazine, approaches stairs, CU feet walking up stairs, camera tilts up to woman adjusting plant hanging off stair railing.
01:22:35:00-01:22:42:00
MS man sitting in chair reading newspaper, smoking cigar
01:22:42:00-01:22:50:00
young girl sitting down at table to play checkers with young boy.
01:22:50:00-01:23:43:00
VS car driving down dirt road, MCU inside car from front window, man driving car with young boy and girl in front seat, woman sitting in back seat behind driver, young boy is speaking to young girl, she smiles, car pulls into drive way, pulls up next to man and woman, woman is waving hello, they get into back seat, MCU man and 2 women sitting in back seat, woman leans forward speaking driver turns around, along with young girl in front.
01:23:43:00-01:23:53:00
VS woman scraping food off plate, LS woman drying glasses.
01:23:53:00-01:23:57:00
woman making bed
01:23:57:00-01:25:21:00
young boy and girl taking apart table and wall; woman arranging cushions on sofa; young boy taking home movie film projector out of closet and pulling down film screen, 2 women, 1 man sit down in front of screen while young boy starts projector; CU screen indicating CU man speaking; CU woman (weird facial expressions); CU man speaking.
01:25:21:00-01:25:27:00
Ending Sequence
LEISURE CHEVROLET AUTOMOBILES TRANSPORTATION ADVERTISING LAIRD, DONALD ARCHITECTURE FURNITURE BUILDINGS HOUSES HOMES INTERIORS RELAXATION DAILY LIFE FAMILIES WOMEN MEN Chevrolet Motor Company (sponsor) Automobiles (Chevrolet) Sleep Sleep accessories Pillows Stores (department) Relaxation Laird, Donald B.Sc. Speeches Surrealism Models Women Explosions Firecrackers Fright Fear Automobiles Automobiles (families in) Driving Families (driving) Roads Houses and homes House of Ideas (Rockefeller Center, 1939) Home movies Projectors (home movies) Home movies (family watching) Screens (motion-picture, home movie) Sons Boys Boys (projecting home movies) Interior design Tenseness Massage Modernism
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